There are no better movies than the few that take a true story about a very average person who is living a real life and turns that story into something not only entertaining but relatable, and at times, very funny. Brittany, played extremely well by comic actress Jillian Bell, is living in a garbage apartment in New York City, is broke, fat, depressed, down on her luck and in general her life is a total disaster. How many of us can relate to a reality like this and one of the best lines is “all of us are f’ed up Brittany”.

There are several very funny moments in this movie and one of my favorites was a conversation Brittany has with a salesman at a gym trying to sell her membership for $128 a month. Her response, “you mean I could walk outside and get exercise for free or pay, how much again, to work out here?”

As with all well done transition movies like this one, Brittany’s transformation from an overweight depressed mess into someone who is capable of running a marathon is within itself a great tribute to the true story this film is about. Running a marathon is an extremely challenging thing to do, most especially from someone who is almost obese – and whose entire life is a disaster. Training like this involves hard work for months, and with the help of two close friends Brittany becomes obsessed with this goal of running the NYC Marathon, to the point that nothing else matters in her entire life.

There are so many great things about this movie, starting with the humor; despite Brittany’s depressing life, the great writing and following Brittany through the trials of her money problems, multiple bad jobs and condescending, nasty roommate who seems to derive pleasure from Brittany’s many miseries.  Welcome to real life for so many people in this world.

The Rotten Tomatoes ratings for Brittany Runs a Marathon are an outstanding 91% and in my opinion this is one of the best movies of 2019 and it receives my highest recommendation.  This film should also receive a best picture nomination along with a best actress nomination for Jillian Bell.